Op-Ed: The top 10 photos from National Geographic's Instagram feed

Some news outlets understand the value of social media. For months, iconic magazine National Geographic has been wowing its 984,000 fans on Instagram, where their photos feature breath-taking views of animals, people and places across the world.

Instagram is celebrated as an ideal hub for photography enthusiasts, and who better to showcase stunning pics than a magazine well-respected for its images? National Geographic knows its photographers deserve a platform, and that's where their Instagram feed comes in.

Every day, the NatGeo feed publishes at least one photo from their magazine or unpublished reports, giving us a taste of what their photographers are experiencing in far-flung regions. Wild dog cubs howling in Kenya in one pic, then another will capture an Mt. Everest Sherpa hiking up notoriously dangerous icy paths.

Some photos attract as many as 1400 comments and a 90,000 Likes.

Below are the top 10 pics National Geographic has posted in the last several months to its Instagram feed. In no particular order: